Assessment & Tracking

Over the year, I have worked on an assessment model which I feel tackles the new curriculum without recreating the issues of the old levels system. The intention is that the focus of assessment is on the specifics of what have been learned, as proposed by the original Expert Panel in 2011.

The model matches closely with the principles set out by the NAHT in its recommendations, while also providing schools with appropriate means of tracking outcomes using Excel spreadsheets.

All of these resources are made freely available for schools to adopt and adapt as they wish. Excel sheets have been protected to prevent accidental modification, but no password is needed to adapt it should a school wish to edit the content to suit their own approach.

Michael, once again, I’m blown away by your generosity of spirit in making these available. I’ve done such a lot of thinking about this and the best way to go about it and I’m relieved and delighted that you seem to have come out with the same kind of ideas.
It seems to me that the Maths and English programmes of study are just busting at the seams with detail about what should be taught. This is great for teachers who lack subject knowledge or confidence, but to transfer this across lock stock and barrel to an assessment model is daft. Just too much to assess. So I’d reached the point where it was clear that we had to identify the key learning objectives. And you’ve done this. Thanks so much.
To be honest, though, I still think it’s worth asking staff teams to come up with their own list as I feel the value of this lies so much in the pedagogical discussion that emerges from it.
Many thanks again.

Thanks Bruce – and I couldn’t agree more. The power of real shared ownership of assessment is huge, and just like the NAHT suggest, I really recommend that schools adopt the principle rather than the whole caboodle. That’s partly why I’ve made sure it cab be edited by schools, and I encourage people to adapt it to suit their school’s needs and wishes. Perhaps I ought to emphasise that more above…?

Happy New Year!
Thank you for these. We looked at them this evening in a staff meeting but couldn’t get the formula cells to work or even edit. Have you the time to explain what I am doing wrong? (Using Office 2011 for Mac or older version on pc).
Is there any weighting on the objectives or are they assumed of equal value?

How very odd! I’m not sure quite what’s happening so it’s hard to advise, but I’ll drop you an email.
As for editing, the cells are protected initially, but you can unprotect them by clicking on the button in the Review tab of the menu bar – no password is needed.

As for weighting, no – the objectives are simply counted up – 1, 2 or 3 points each for W/M/E values. If I’m honest, even that’s more than I’d like to do, but I know that schools like to have numbers for inspectors!